Identifying key processing parameters for the electrospinning of aligned polymer nanofibers

Published in Materials Letters, vol. 140, pp. 99–102 (2015) · Elsevier
DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2014.10.150

Summary

Many uses of electrospun scaffolds — from tissue engineering to filtration and composite reinforcement — depend not just on producing nanofibres but on controlling their orientation, because aligned fibres guide cell growth and give anisotropic mechanical behaviour. This study sets out to identify which electrospinning variables most strongly govern fibre alignment when fibres are collected on a rotating drum. The authors examine how the collector's rotational speed, together with the other governing process parameters, affects the degree of alignment and the resulting fibre morphology, and distil the findings into practical guidance on the settings that matter most for producing well-aligned polymer nanofibres. By pinpointing the dominant parameters, the work helps researchers reproducibly fabricate oriented nanofibre mats for applications that require directional structure.

Authors & Affiliations

  • Anna Doergens
    Institute of Polymer Materials, Dept. of Materials Science & Engineering, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
  • Judith A. Roether
    Institute of Biomaterials, Dept. of Materials Science & Engineering, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
  • Dirk Dippold
    Institute of Polymer Materials, Dept. of Materials Science & Engineering, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
  • Aldo R. Boccaccini
    Institute of Biomaterials, Dept. of Materials Science & Engineering, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany
  • Dirk W. Schubert
    Institute of Polymer Materials, Dept. of Materials Science & Engineering, FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany

Topics

Fiber Alignment Process Parameters Rotating Collector Nanofiber Morphology

Linari Electrospinning Systems

Electrospinning machines by Linari Nanotech
Linari Nanotech designs and manufactures electrospinning systems whose process parameters — applied voltage, flow rate and rotating-collector speed — let researchers control the alignment of polymer nanofibres.
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